This invention relates to display panels especially for use in portable devices and more specifically to a segmented display in which the segments may be individually enabled or disabled to minimize power use.
Electronic devices often require display panels to display text or graphics. However, display panels are expensive and power hungry devices. As electronic devices become more popular, efforts have been made to reduce power requirements. For example, more efficient display hardware and power management software is used in most new electronic devices. However, even with power management software to turn off the device when not in use, the most efficient displays remain too power hungry for use in some applications. In particular, portable or battery powered electronic devices often include display panels which are smaller than ideal, simply to conserve power. As a result, the devices have incredibly complex user interfaces designed for very small displays which cannot contain a large menu or detailed instructions.
For example, liquid crystal displays (LCD) have seen widespread use as portable devices have become increasingly powerful and popular. LCD""s are used to display information either in monochrome (black and white) or color. LCD""s are currently the most cost effective type of display when a lightweight small display is needed. LCD""s also use less electrical power than other typical display technologies. As a result, LCD""s are found in most portable electronic device which need to display information, such as digital cameras, portable computers, and children""s toys.
An LCD typically consists of two sheets of glass separated by a sealed-in liquid crystal material which is normally transparent. The outer surface of each glass sheet is coated with a transparent electrically conductive material such as tin oxide or indium oxide. The coating on the front, or viewing, surface is etched into characters or symbols that will be displayed on the LCD. On LCD""s which need to display more complex information, the coating on the top surface is etched into an array of small shapes which may be flexibly combined during operation to form characters or symbols. Each of the etched portions have electrical conductors leading to the edge of the LCD. When an electrical voltage is applied between the front and back electrode coatings, the normally orderly arrangement of the liquid crystal molecules is disrupted. This disruption causes the liquid crystal material between the energized electrode coatings to darken, while the surrounding unenergized liquid crystal material remains transparent. The etched portions on the front coating are selectively energized so that the corresponding darkened regions on the LCD form easily viewable characters or symbols. A backlight is often used to illuminate the LCD from behind, increasing the contrast between the transparent and darkened regions on the LCD to improve readability.
However, LCD""s are not without their disadvantages. Even though they are very power efficient compared to other typical display technologies, the power required to operate an LCD can quickly drain the batteries in a portable device. Therefore, most portable devices such as digital cameras employ smaller than ideal LCD""s, making it difficult to read characters on the display. The user interface of a portable device is also complicated by a smaller than ideal LCD, since large menus providing access to the device functions cannot be displayed on a small LCD. Large menus are therefore typically divided into many levels of small menus which are confusing and tedious to use. Images displayed on a smaller than ideal LCD are also difficult to view, and are so compressed that details are lost. A common example is the extraordinarily complex user interfaces common to today""s digital cameras.
Other display devices are available for electronic devices, such as plasma discharge panels (PDP""s), which can produce a much better image than LCD""s. However, these generally require even more power than LCD""s.
Consequently, a need exists for a display with relatively low power requirements allowing larger displays in electronic devices. A further need exists for a display with variable power requirements that can be adjusted according to the varying power needs of the display as larger or smaller images are displayed.
To assist in achieving the aforementioned needs, the inventors have devised a segmented display panel for use in electronic devices, particularly in portable electronic devices such as digital cameras. The preferred segmented display has a smaller rectangular segment surrounded by a larger U-shaped segment. The two segments may be powered and operated independently or jointly. When only small items need to be displayed, the larger segment is turned off while the smaller segment display is active. When larger items need to be displayed, such as photographs, the two segments are jointly powered and are used together to display the items.
The invention may comprise an electronic display having a plurality of independently operable segments. Each of the plurality of independently operable segments comprises a plurality of picture elements.
The invention may also comprise a digital camera. The digital camera includes an optical imaging assembly, a storage device electrically connected to the optical imaging assembly, and segmented display means electrically connected to the storage device.
The invention may also comprise an electronic apparatus having a segmented display. The segmented display comprises a plurality of independently operable display segments, wherein each of the plurality of independently operable display segments is located adjacent at least one other of the plurality of independently operable display segments.